Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Students enrolled in our course are encouraged to write for the course blog, and to read and comment on posts from students at other participating universities. The blog offers students the opportunity to analyze current events through the lens of the theory and case studies they engage with through the course.

How far is too far for South Korea’s presidential pardons?

South Korea’s presidential pardons raise questions on accountability, especially in the aftermath of Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.

Read More

How tolerating and encouraging violence fuels democratic backsliding in Georgia

During the past demonstrations, the ruling party of Georgia – Georgian Dream – made violence their primary weapon in overcoming protest. This blog emphasizes how violence used by the state implies democratic backsliding in light of the theoretical framework by Levistsky and Ziblatt.

Read More

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi

Repression on Repeat: From Kyiv to Minsk to Tbilisi   Last October, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. Many considered them as important as a referendum because Georgian citizens were asked to choose between the ruling Georgian Dream, a Euroskeptic...
Read More

Blog Post 1

Feb 13, 2025 |

One reading I’d like to touch on is Chapter One of Levitsky and Ziblatt’s book, “How Democracies Die”. At first, I didn’t understand why the Aesop passage was included in the chapter: then I...

read more